Analysis of Jared Diamond’s Theory in in Guns, Germs, and Steel

Jared Diamond’s theory about the reason civilizations rose above others in Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Society is an effective statement with the proper reasoning to support it. Other historians have supported this statement by the sole fact that the Spanish as a race were just smarter overall. The real reason they were so successful was the advantage of where they were located. They also had become immune to germs, resourceful food, and used steel. Although there are somethings that Diamond may have left out of is theory, his is the most probable.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Society, an award-winning book explains Jared Diamond’s theory on why the Spanish conquered the Inca even though they were vastly outnumbered. This book also goes into detail about why the Spanish as a civilization outmatched other in the length of which they were a civilization. Diamond believed that reason the Spanish conquered the Inca on their own land so easily was because of the ideal resources they had living on their land. The Spanish had a great advantage over all other civilizations because of their resources from the location they resided in. They had resources to food allowing them to import and export goods from a variety of places such as Asia. In addition to this, they had created a surplus of goods which allowed them to create specialized jobs. Steel was a society-changing resource that evolved the way they worked as it allowed them to make machinery to make tasks easier and quicker. They also had the ability to domesticate animals and use them as transportation. Another crucial factor was that the Spanish were able to overcome sicknesses that killed off other civilizations.

Jared Diamond explained that the Inca lacking a system of writing did not make the Spanish superior either, although they were able to communicate so efficiently because of it. If it would have been the Spanish against the Aztec, there would be numerous holes in that theory because the Aztec had a very advanced system of writing. Diamond said that there were Indian nations living under the rule of the Inca that did not want to be there. These Indians saw the Spanish soldiers as an opportunity to revolt against the Inca. This analysis would mean that the Spanish alone were not the real reason the Inca was overthrown, but their allies assisted in the defeat of the Inca.

The book 1491: New revolution of the Americas Before Columbus, written by Charles M. Mann, “debunked” the idea that Jared Diamond had about the Spanish conquering the Inca. The Inca had a somewhat good economy even though they functioned without currency. Not having money to buy and sell things was not uncommon for civilizations at the time because they were only just beginning to grow to be more civilized. But they also produced gross inefficiencies, meaning that the methods they were using to grow and sell things in their economy was very inefficient preventing them from growing as a civilization.

The hole in Diamond’s theory that Mann discusses was talking about the Inca being defeated by disease and factionalism and not by steel and horses. Factionalism would cause extreme weakness throughout the people because they all disagreed on the way they were being ruled. Smallpox also played a big role in weakening the Inca empire, it made the soldiers and people weak and there were less of them. If their land hadn't been divided by the smallpox civil war the Spanish wouldn’t have been as strong as they were. The Spanish were already immune to the disease, so they did not have to face this harsh problem. The Inca wanted to join forces with others but were unsuccessful. Mann states that another possible reason for defeat was because Wayne Qhapaq (munificent honored one), a ruler was dead and couldn’t lead the people. He continues to say that if Qhapaq was alive Spanish would have not been able to enter land.

As well as in 1491: New revolution of the Americas Before Columbus, the authors said the divide of the people was part of Spanish success. Advanced Andeans and Backwood Europeans: Structure and Agency in the Collapse of the Inca Empire by David Cahill featured in the book Questioning Collapse edited by McAnany, Patricia Ann, and Norman Yoffee argued that the Inca were too weak to ever have a chance of winning. The source says the Inca thought guns were for people that were too weak to fight without being armed. They also claimed that guns and steel were not long term effective. The authors also say after 1491 Spanish were successful in conquering a lot of land including the Inca. Another notable thing the authors pointed out was that there was an absence of a writing system in the Inca empire making it more difficult for news to travel about the conquest. Ataullah thought the Spanish could conquer once their guard was down which was easy because of how dysfunctional the Inca were at the time. The natives couldn’t overcome new diseases brought by the Spanish at all, killing them off quickly and painfully.

In Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest by Matthew Restall it Said that Spaniards were constantly outnumbered, but it didn’t stop them from continuing to conquer other lands. He mainly stood by the allies of the Spanish being the main reason they were so successful. Restall also brought up the fact that the Spanish had native allies that helped them conquer from the inside. Huejotzingo resisted being in the Mexica empire because they didn't want to deal with it but at the end, still ended up helping Spaniards conquer. Andean Allies saved the Spaniards from starvation and death as a people and as individuals as well. The Indians were easily conquered on their own turf because they wanted to keep their locals and family alive and safe, they didn’t want them to ruin their homes and their belonging, so they went peacefully. The Spaniards also bought land from Mexica empire until there was nothing left.

Overall, it may be said that the Inca was only conquered because of luck or intelligence of the Spanish. Despite this, I stand by Jared Diamond’s argument that the place in which the Spanish were established was the reason they were so successful in remaining a civilization for so long and conquering the Inca. It was also continuously brought up that without the Inca being so weak from diseases the Spanish were immune to, there would be a slim chance of conquering. Keeping in mind that the Spaniards were hugely outnumbered, there had to have been multiple reasons they conquered the Inca so easily. Although he left out factionalism, which I believe was a large factor in this conquering as much as his other reasons, I still believe that Jared Diamond’s theory was the one that is the most likely.

Bibliography

• Diamond, Jared M. Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000